


Courtship Rituals

by gentledusk, littleliontree (gentledusk)



Category: Flight Rising, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Courtship, Crossover, Dragons, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 06:51:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3110171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gentledusk/pseuds/gentledusk, https://archiveofourown.org/users/gentledusk/pseuds/littleliontree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dragon-man Lysandre performs his strange foreign courtship rituals with human Augustine. Misunderstanding and hilarity ensue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Courtship Rituals

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MrMundy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrMundy/gifts).



> It is not necessary to have any knowledge of Flight Rising to read this, though it would certainly help. Suffice it to say that Lysandre is of a dragon breed called Imperials, which are generally the largest of all breeds, and he serves as an engineer/inventor in the Lightning Flight under their deity, the Stormcatcher. 
> 
> This story takes place in an AU where humans aren't extinct in Sornieth and coexist peacefully with dragons. Dragons can learn to shapeshift into humanoid forms, if they choose, to make mingling easier.

Augustine Sycamore was one extremely confused human being at the moment.

“Augustine Sycamore,” Lysandre growled, flame-coloured wings beating with enough force to send gusts of wind blowing around him, “what is your response?”

“I…my response? Well, umm, it was a…a very nice dance…”

“… _And_?”

Augustine squeaked and started to babble. “I-I-It was a beautiful dance! Very graceful! Much passion! M-M-Marvellous! Truly marvellous!” He squeaked again as Lysandre’s face suddenly became very, very close, piercing blue eyes staring unblinkingly into his own.

Apparently Lysandre didn’t like what he saw, because after a few terrifying moments he frowned and turned away with a huff. “If my display was not to your liking, there is no need for you to lie about it. We Imperials are not so sensitive that we cannot handle the truth, whatever that truth may be.”

Augustine opened his mouth, most likely to let another stream of babble tumble out again, then closed it. Despite Lysandre’s words, he seemed…dejected, almost. His wings were curled closely around him, and he was staring at the ground when normally his head would be held up high. Even his beard and mane seemed to be drooping a little. Did he really want Augustine’s approval that much? The dance itself had seemingly come out of nowhere, the only warning he’d gotten being Lysandre asking him right there on the spot to sit and watch his performance. Maybe it was some kind of…dragon custom thing? A holiday dance of some sort? A secret message of some kind? But what?

“Er…is there some sort of…holiday today?”

Lysandre shook his head, body still angled away from Augustine.

“A…A festival? Special occasion of some sort?”

Lysandre snorted derisively.

“Okay then…I guess that’s a no. Well, how about—”

Lysandre whirled around, tail lashing back and forth behind him. “Do you mean to tell me you know nothing of what has just transpired between us?”

“Eep! I-I…uh…of course I do! Of course I know! I’m not _that_ clueless, you know!” Liar.

“Well, then, give me your response!”

“I…I…your dance was kind of strange and out of nowhere but not strange in a bad way just really unexpected and foreign but it was still really really great to watch I mean I really appreciate you doing it for me pleasedon’thurtmeLysI—”

“ _YES OR NO_?”

“Y-Y-Yes?”

“Good.” Was it his imagination, or had Lysandre just breathed a sigh of relief? At least his tail had stopped lashing about. “Normally we would touch wings at this point, but since you are a tiny, flightless human with no wings to speak of—”

“Hey! I’m not that tiny! You’re just…really big!”

Lysandre puffed out his chest, practically preening. “Of course. I _am_ an Imperial, after all. We pride ourselves on our impressive size.”

Augustine snickered.

Lysandre’s wings flared out behind him. “Are you _mocking_ me?”

“N-No! No!” He waved his hands about frantically. Curse him and his wayward thoughts. He knew that Lysandre was sensitive about his size…meaning his height, and, and wingspan, and length… _not_ the kind Augustine had been thinking about just a few moments ago! Mind out of the gutter! Mind out of the gutter!

“…Good. Now, as I was saying, traditionally, we would touch wings, but since you lack such appendages we will have to make do some other way. Now, as for the gifts, I am unaccustomed to human traditions surrounding such things, so—”

“Gifts? What gifts?”

Lysandre tilted his head. “The courtship gifts, of course. Unless…unless you wish to forgo such formalities? It is highly irregular, but not totally unheard of, if…” Lysandre trailed off, coughing and looking off to the side. Was that a hint of a blush on his cheeks? “…if you are truly so eager to jump right into the courtship, I would be…amenable. If that is what you wish.”

Augustine was aware that his mouth had dropped open and that he was staring, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. “H-Hold on! C-C-Courtship? Is _that_ what that dance was all about? You were…courting me?”

“You informed me that you were aware of the significance of the act!”

“W-Well, yes, I did, but…you were being really scary! I thought you would snap at me if I said no! And I didn’t want to hurt your feelings!”

“My _feelings_ ,” Lysandre hissed, “are of no concern here. What is of concern is that I asked for the truth and you gave your response without being aware of its meaning. So I will ask you once more, this time with full disclosure. The dance I performed for you is traditionally performed by Imperials to symbolize the intent to begin a courtship. Well…traditionally, it is performed in full dragon form, in flight, but since this is an unusual situation to begin with, what with you being a human, I decided to adapt a performance for you in this form instead. I am aware that the dance itself was somewhat…unorthodox, but was it acceptable to you? That is…” He cleared his throat, wings folded tightly against his back. “Augustine Sycamore. Would you do me, Lysandre of the Fleur-de-Lis Clan, of the Lightning Flight, the honour of accepting my courtship?”

“I…” Augustine began, but his tongue felt as dry as sandpaper in his mouth. Lysandre was one of his best friends, and he was gorgeous and brilliant in whatever form he chose to take, and he’d be lying if he said he’d never thought about Lysandre in a romantic sense, but was this really a good idea? Despite their closeness, there were many things Augustine still didn’t understand about Imperial culture and draconic culture in general. What if he messed something up? What if he did something so unspeakably horrible in draconic culture that Lysandre never spoke to him again? Would their friendship be able to survive it if he accepted? Would their friendship be able to survive it if he _refused_?

“Augustine,” said Lysandre, face as impassive as always, though his wings were trembling slightly—with anticipation or nerves, Augustine couldn’t tell. “Your response, please. Truthfully, this time. Do you accept my courtship?”

Augustine clenched his fists and, with effort, looked Lysandre in the eye. “Lysandre of the Fleur-de-Lis Clan, of the Lightning Flight. I, Augustine Sycamore of the Sycamore…Clan…of the, uhh, the…not really any Flight because I’m not a dragon and I can’t fly? A-Anyway! I, Augustine Sycamore, accept your courtship.”

This time, the way his wings finally relaxed back into their usual resting position really was noticeable, though his face showed no change in expression save for a slight upward quirk of his lips. “Excellent. Now, as I said earlier, normally there would be a brief touching of wings at this point, but seeing as you have none—”

“We could touch lips instead,” Augustine blurted.

“We could instead—e-excuse me?”

“Touch lips. As in, you know. Kissing.” Did dragons kiss?

“But…for what purpose? What would ‘kissing’ accomplish?”

…That was a no, then. “Well, um, it would…it wouldn’t really accomplish much of anything, but humans do it to show affection. And it feels good. Can feel good. If you do it right. Yes.”

Lysandre narrowed his eyes. “Well. Since you are, as I said before, a tiny, flightless human—”

“You really know how to make a guy feel good about himself.”

“—I suppose this ‘kissing’ shall suffice.” And with that, Lysandre stepped right up into Augustine’s personal space and lunged forward.

…Needless to say, the result was probably not quite as grand as Lysandre had expected.

“Your face! Your face!” Augustine gasped out, doubled over with laughter. “Ow, my nose. But your face! That was priceless!”

“I do not appreciate being made a fool of, Augustine Sycamore,” Lysandre growled, bright blue eyes virtually snapping with sparks. Then again, since he _was_ a Lightning dragon…maybe they were literally sparking. “I demand that you allow me to ‘kiss’ you until you judge that I have given a masterful rendition of this ridiculous human custom. And _then_ we can finally begin the official courting. Agreed?”

“I have absolutely no objections,” Augustine sighed, pretending to swoon into Lysandre’s arms as their lips met once again. “…Mmmph! Except for those teeth! Ouch! A little less bitey, a little more ‘kissy kissy’, please!”

Ok, so maybe his lip was bleeding _just_ a little now, but that was all right. Lysandre could kiss it better, after all…just as soon as he got those sharp teeth of his under control.

“Ouch!”

Looked like Lysandre still had a lot to learn…

**Author's Note:**

> If Augustine were a dragon, I'd see him as a noodle (Spiral) from the Arcane Flight. Maybe this fic will be the start of a 'perfectworld adventures in Sornieth' series, who knows.


End file.
